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Education/training

Educational choices for the aspiring makeup artist

The Makeup industry is generally divided into two major areas of expertise: "Straight makeup" which involves corrective application and "casualty makeup" which incorporates special effects and prosthetics.

MICHAEL CHO

[ 2002-06-12 ]

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Schools offer an array of choices for the potential student to explore. They have the choice of learning the fundamentals of "straight makeup" application for models, more sophisticated applications such as in stage productions and music videos, or delving into prosthetics and animatronic special effects.

Vocational schools registered with The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities are The School of Professional Make-up, The School of Makeup Art, Complections International and Sheridan College all located in the GTA.

These schools offer programs ranging from part-time introductory courses to two-year diploma programs, which cover the ever-evolving world of the makeup industry.

Robert Closs, owner of the The Professional School of Makeup who also teaches many of the classes emphasizes the importance of demonstrating the latest techniques to his students. "Because I still work in the field, my students get the benefit of me going out there and coming back 'pumped' and saying 'hey guys, guess what I learned today?'"

His students also gain valuable field experience from soliciting companies in communications, advertising and production who occasionally need some extra help on projects.

"We provide a high standard of field work to our students because I hand pick every student for every job, depending on their area of strength. This way, the client is happy and is always quick to seek us out again in the future."

"A potential client doesn't care whether you did the work for free or not, they just want to see the list of projects you worked on, and our students can hit the ground running when they're done the program" says Closs.

Regrettably, he says usually these field assignments are done for free by the school, but occasionally students will receive a nominal fee, or money to cover makeup materials.

But at the very least, these field placements also provide the building blocks of a student's resume.

Speaking of makeup materials, students can expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars on make-up kits depending on the length and complexity of the school program.

Nadia Brandler, founder of Complections International also has an in-house store with products ranging from simple foundations to various shades of fake blood. "Our classes are 95 per cent hands on training. There is always a demonstration first and then it's time for the students to get their hands dirty."

Brandler also provides leads to field work through a bulletin board, which graduates and students can apply for. But her curriculum works more towards building a student's portfolio of in-house works. "We provide professional photographers to come in and take photos of student projects free of charge, so this way the student enters the makeup industry with something to show prospective employers."

For those interested in enrolling in a traditional college, Sheridan College offers a two-year diploma program in Cosmetic Techniques and Management. Although many other colleges offer programs in aesthetics, Sheridan is the only college in Ontario that focuses on makeup artistry.

The comprehensive program begins with lessons in cosmetic principles and trends, introducing students to the cosmetic industry.

In the first year of the program, students are given a wide breadth of studies including cosmetic principles, cosmetic techniques and product knowledge, which is the foundation for anyone venturing into this field.

The second year provides more sophisticated applications such as stage makeup, performance art makeup and special effects techniques.

To round out a student in preparation for the makeup industry, Sheridan's program also includes business management courses specific to the makeup industry such as, small business computers and management studies.

Whatever school students decide to enroll in, students should pick a program that limits class size to ensure they are receiving the proper amount of personal attention. Another factor, and most importantly, according to Closs, is making sure the instructors are qualified professionals.

Prospective students are advised to visit the school and meet with the coordinator, the instructors and even speak with the students.

"Some schools simply hire recent graduates to teach the courses, but I hire working professional in the business that have a proven track record," says Closs. "Our instructors have worked on such projects as Phantom of the Opera, War of the Worlds and Exit Wounds.

Brandler's teaching staff also displays an impressive dossier as well, having worked on projects such as Robocop, Dracula 2000 and Les Miserable. "We even have an instructor that worked on the film, Titanic," says Brandler, beaming with pride.

(Michael Cho is a freelance writer for CANOE.ca, and can be reached at michael_cho@rogers.com.)